Sole rounding machine



1949 c. w. BAKER 2,490,192

SOLE ROUNDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 11, 1947 3 Shets-Sheet 1 80 m /7 I l8? a /72 LL1 64 12g. 2

/76 fm/enzar Conan/1150(6)" /46 Patented Dec. 6, 1949 SOLE ROUNDING 'MACHINE Corwin W. Baker, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 11, 1947, Serial No. 779,378

7, Claims. (01. 12- -85 This invention relates to sole rounding machines and is illustrated herein as embodied in a machine of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,030,606, granted on June 25, 19.12, upon an application of F. H. Perry.

In the operation of a machine of this class the sole of a shoe is trimmed by a chopping knife so that the Width of its margin which extends outwardly from the upper, i. e., the sole edge extension, varies from one part of the shoe to another as required by the style to which the shoe is to conform. The shoe is positioned in the above machine relatively to the knife by a guide against which the shoe is held by the operator, the guide being moved as the point of operation of th knife is transferred about the shoe so as gradually to increase or decrease the sole edge extension.

In another machine of this class disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,482,092, granted September 20, 1949, in the name of C. W. Baker, a similar effect is obtained by the use of a guide in the form of a cam which is rotated in response to the feeding movement of the shoe, the shoe and guide rolling on each other. Since the guiding surface of this cam is eccentric to its axis of rotation if-the sole edge extension is to be varied the shoe is raised or lowered relatively to the knife, as in the prior machine, to obtain the desired change in the sole edge extension.

Proper guiding of the shoe in either of the machines requires that it be swung continuously by the operator with a kind of wabbly rotation so that regardless of the irregular contour of the shoe the point of its engagement with the guide will not move relatively to the knife in either direction lengthwise of the line of cut.

This operation requires considerable skill and is complicated by the movement of the shoe relatively to the knife which produces the change in the sole edge extension. That is, notwithstanding this movement of the shoe it must be held with a uniform pressure against the guide; and the shoe must receive a certain corrective swinging movement to compensate for its tendency to be swung in the operators hands about the point where it engages the guide.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved rounding machine in the operation of which a varying sole edge extension can be produced without requiring the shoe to be moved for this purpose.

To this end, the invention contemplates, as one feature thereof, the provision in a machine hav- 2 ing a tool operated to make a sole rounding out and a guide for positioning a shoe relatively to the tool, of means for moving the tool relatively to the guide, in variable amounts according to the required change in the sole edge extension, during the movement of the shoe past the tool. In the illustrated machine, the tool or knife is mounted to reciprocate in a carrier, which is moved to effect the result mentioned above, through a stroke of a predetermined length corresponding to the desired change in sole extension. The mechanism for thus moving the carrier comprises an operating means, a driving means for the operating means, and a control means in the construction and arrangement of which various other features of the invention are exemplified. In accordance with one of these latter features adjustable connections are provided in the operating means and driving means for permitting the length of the stroke of the carrier, and the speed of its movement, respectively, to be varied at will in order that different sizes and styles of work may be accommodated.

The eflicient operation of the machine is furthered by the control means which, once it is actuated by the operator, causes the driving means to be held engaged with the operating means without any attention on the part of the operator, and later automatically disengages the driving means from the operating means when the carrier has reached the end of its stroke. The next actuation of the control means causes the carrier to move with a stroke of the same length and speed as the prior one but in the opposite direction. Accordingly, by presenting right and left shoes to the machine alternately they will be rounded with similar sole edge extensions, it being understood that the rounding operation is started at the inside shank of a right shoe and at the outside shank of a left shoe.

These and other features of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the head of an illustrative machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a part of the control means and its mounting on the pedestal of the machine;

Fig. 3 illustrates diagrammatically the electri cal elements of the control means and the wiring connecting them;

f Fig.4 is a front elevation of lustrated in Figs-l and 2; Fig. 5 is afragmentary sectional elevation of a the structure ilpart of the structure in Fig. 4 as viewed from the location of the line VV in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detailed side elevation of the mounting for the knife carrier;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary front elevation of the mechanism for operating the knife carrier to vary the sole edge extension; and v Fig. 8 is a fragmentary front elevation partly in section of a part of the structure shown in Fig. '7 and of the driving means therefor.

A shoe to be rounded in the illustrated machine is presented thereto with the margin 'of its bottom engaging a bottom rest In (Fig. 1 the opposite margin of the sole being engaged by the lower end of a feed arm 12. A knife I4 is recip'roc'ated in a carrier I6 so as to trim the sole edge with a chopping stroke, the knife being arranged tocut against an insert of soft metal which is let into the lower end of the feed arm. At the beginning of a rounding operation the shoe is positioned relatively to the knife by a crease guide 18 which is adapted to enter the welt crease of the shoe. This guide is generally U-shaped and is mounted on the outer end of a lever 20 which is mounted to pivot at 22 on the frame 24 of the machine. As the point of operation of the knife on the shoe approaches the ball line the control of the shoe is gradually taken over by a 'forepart guide 26 mounted on an adjusting device 28 which is fixed to the outer end of a lever 30.

Except for the carrier i6 and its mounting which constitute a part of the present invention the construction and arrangement of the mechanism mentioned thus far and of the knife driving means correspond in all details to the design of the machine of the Perry patent. It is understood that the shoe receives an intermittent feed movement from the work rest I and feed arm 12, as is usual in this type of machine, and that the knife makes a cut through the sole against the feed arm during a period of rest of the latter which occurs between successive feeding movements.

Assuming now that 'a right shoe is being operated upon and that the out has been carried approximately to the inner ball line, the guiding of the shoe, which up to this point has been provided by the crease guide [8, is taken over by the iorepart guide 26. The mechanism in the present machine for effecting this change of control of the shoe is, for the most part, like that provided in the above mentioned Baker machine for the same purpose, and will be outlined briefly below.

During the time when the crease guide I8 is used, the shoe being firmly held against it by the operator, upward movement of the guide is resisted by the engagement of a cam member 32 with an abutment roll '34. As more fully illustrated in the Baker application, the abutment roll is associated with the lever 30 and is adjustable with respect thereto horizontally and vertically, the latter adjustment being effected by turning a thumb screw 36 (Fig. 4). The cam member 32 is pivoted at 3! (Figs. 1 and 4) to a plate 38, this plate being mounted to rotate on a stud "40 which is threaded into the crease guide lever 20. The cam member 32 can be angularly adjusted with respect to the plate 38, for a purpose to be described later, by turning an adjusting screw 42 which connects the cam member and plate.

When in the judgment of the operator the control of the shoe by the crease guide I8 is to be transferred to the forepart guide 26, he depresses a treadle (not shown) which lowers a rod 44 (Fig. 1) connected at its upper end to a lever 46 which is mounted to pivot at 41 on the frame 24. Another lever 48, also mounted to pivot at 41, at first is moved with the lever 46 by connections comprising a rod 49 which extends through a swivel block 50 on the lever 46 and is connected to the lever 48 by a pin 5 I. A spring 52 surrounding the rod is compressed between the block 50 and a shoulder near the lower end of the rod. A nut 53 threaded on the upper end of the rod 49 engages the block 50 and can be adjusted to obtain any desired degree of compression in the spring 52. Arranged to move with the lever 48 is another lever 54 which is connected by a link '55 to a lever 56 which is fixed to a shaft to which the forepart guide lever 30 is also fixed. Through the mechanism just described lowering of the treadle rod 44 causes the forepart guide 26 to be lowered into proximity to the guiding surface of the crease guide l8.

Since the width of the sole edge extension made while the shoe is under the control of the crease guide is usually different from that made while the shoe is under the control of the forepart guide, provision is made for providing a smooth transition in the change of control from one guide to the other. This gradual transition is effected during the lowering of the forepart guide 26 by moving the cam member 32, whereby the crease guide is permitted to yield upwardly, or is moved downwardly a slight amount, according to the adjustment of the cam member made by the adjusting screw 42. This movement of the cam member is imparted thereto by a link 51 which is pivoted at 31 to the cam member and also is pivoted at 58 to a lever 60 formed integral with the lever 46. When with continued downward movement of the treadle rod 44 the forepart guide 26 arrives at its lowermost position, the spring 52 yields allowing further movement of the lever 46 which causes the cam member 32 to be swung far enough in a counterclockwise direction to cause a shoulder 62 thereon to be moved beyond the abutment roll 34. The crease guide I8 is then permitted to rise suddenly and the forepart guide takes over the guiding of the shoe. From this point until the crease guide again guides the shoe, it simply rests or floats in the welt crease of the shoe, and is free to rise or fall depending upon the level at which it is supported by the shoe.

The rounding out is now continued with the guiding of the shoe under the control of the forepart guide 26 which is held stationary until it is next retracted from the shoe in transferring control of the shoe to the crease guide. At some point in this operation, as at the outside tip line for example, it is desired to increase the sole edge extension gradually to a maximum at the outside ball line. This result is effected in the illustrated machine, not by moving the forepart guide 26, but by moving the carrier [6 for the knife, and the mechanism for thus moving the carrier and the knife will now be described.

The carrier i6 is mounted to swing parallel to itself through a predetermined stroke, the vertical component of this swinging motion being effective to provide the movement of the knife required to change the sole edge extension. Operating means comprising a train of mechanism extending between the carrier l5 (Fig. 4) and a clutch element 64 drives the carrier in this movement. Driving means for this operating means consists of a train of mechanism between a clutch element 66, which co-cpe'rates with the clutch element 64, and an oscillating arm 68 which is the same as the segmental arm 84 of the above mentioned Perry machine. This arm is constantly oscillated while the machine is in operation. Control means involving an electric circuit- (Fig. 3 causes the clutch elements 64 and- 66 to be engaged in response to the actuationof a kneepad ID- (Fig. 2) at the front of the machine and thereafter to hold the clutch elements in engagement with each other until the carrier has reached the end of its stroke. At this time the control means automatically releases or disengages the clutch element 66 from the other clutch element whereby the driving means is rendered ineffective until the knee pad is again operated: by the operator.

Referring now in more detail to the mounting for the carrier I6, the carrier has a pair of projections I2, 74' (Fig. 6) which extend upwardly from the upper surface thereof. On the ends of a pin I6 which passes through ahole in theprojection E2 are fixed a bell crank I8 and link (not shown) one being disposed at each side of a portion of the frame 24. This bell crank and the link are mounted on a shaft 86* which rotates freely in the frame. A similar bell crank 82 and: link 83 (Figs. 6 and 7) are fixed to the ends of a shaft 6G which also rotates in the frame, the crank 62 and link 33 being further connected by another shaft 86 which passes through a hole the projection 76, and. moves up and down without interference with the frame 24 in slots (not shown). formed in the frame concentric with the shaft 84. A link 88 is pivoted at 66 and 52- to the-bell cranks I8; 62 respectively, whereby the bell cranks are always maintained parallel to each other, and successive positions of the carrier similarly are always parallel to each other.

Adjacent to the link 83 is a link 91 the lower end of which is pivoted on the shaft 86. The upper end of this link carries a T-headedbolt 96 (Figs. 1 and 7) which is received in, a T-slot 928 in one arm of a lever I66- which is pivoted on a stud I62 mounted on a bracket I63 projecting upwardl from the frame. To another arm of the lever 566 at I66 is pivotally connected an eccentric strap I66 within which rotates an eccentric sleeve I66 (Fig. 8) formed integral with the clutch element 6%. The sleeve I68 rotates freely on a stud I I6 which is fixed to the bracket I63. It will now be apparent that a half-revolution of the clutch element 64 and sleeve I68 will cause the carrier I6 to be moved through a complete stroke either upwardly or downwardly depending upon the position of the sleeve when one such half-revolution of it is started. The amplitude of this movement of the carrier can be varied byadjusting the position of the link 94' length-wise of the T-slot 98, it being understood that the bolt 96- may be clamped in any desired position within the T-slot by setting up a thumb screw I I2 which is threaded on the bolt.

The clutch element 66 is pinned to a shaft I I4 which at one end is arranged to slide and rotate within a recess I I6 formed in and concentric with the stud I I0. Near the other endof'theshaft, it is also mounted to slide and rotate in a bearing IE8 at the upper end of a bracket I 26 (Figs. 4 and 8) which is fixed tothe frame of the machine. A spring I2I interposed between the bearing H6 and a flange I22 on the end of the shaft normall urges the latter soas to separate the clutch element 66 from the element 64. Also associated with the shaft H4 is a Horton clutch I24 of usual construction, the driving element I26 of which rotatesfreely in both directions upon the shaft H4. Connected tothe driving element-I226 is an arm I28; having a. slot; I311 5); at. any:

6 point alongwhich can be. secured,v by setting up. a nutI32', a ball-and-socket joint. IN. This. joint is connected to. a similar joint I36: by a right. and

lefthand threaded adjusting screw I36. The ball-and-socket joint I36 is adapted to be. clamped in any desired position of adjustment in a. T-slot I40 in the. arm: 68-. by setting up. a nut 1142: which secures the joint to: the arm. Itv is now apparent that through the connections just. described the clutch element. 66 is continuously oscillated as long as the machine is in operation. The amplitude of oscillation of the clutch element 6.6 can bevaried througha wide range by: adj ustin-g either or bothof the joints and: I36 on their respective arms I28 and 66. Hence. the length of the period inwhich the knife carrier I6.- is: moved from oneend of its stroke to the other can be adjusted to provide either a rapid or slowchange --in'the sole edge extensionas. the requirements of the operation demand.

The above mentioned control means will next be described in detail. The clutch element 66 is engaged with the clutchelement 64 and is released therefrom through the operation of asole- 'noid m (Fig. 4') which is included in an electric circuit also having connected therein a normally open switch I46 and a normallyclosed switch end of the spring being fixed to the bracket I20.

Also-pivotedonthe pin I56 is a link I56 which is pivoted to a lever I60. This lever and another lever I62 are-fixedto a shaft I64 which is mounted 1 oted at I69 on the bracket I20.

to rotate in the bracket I20 A roll I66 on the end of the lever I62 bears against a finger F68 which abuts the end' of the shaft I I4 and is pi v- It will nowbe evident that when the solenoid M4 is energized the-lever I 62 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, causing the shaft II4 to move tothe left and the clutch element 66 tobe engaged with the clutch element 64'. Furthermore, the clutch elements are held in engagement so longas the solenoid is energized. Electric current is first caused to flow into the solenoid by the closing of the switch I46 in response to theoperation of the knee pad III. It will be observed from Figs. 2 and 4 that the switch I46 is fixedto a bracket I 10 which is secured bymeans of screws H2 to a pair of studs I14 fixed to the side of thebase I'I'6 of the machine. On these studs are pivoted a pair of levers I18, I86 to the upper ends of which is pivoted a bar I82. The shank of the knee pad I0 is fixed to the outer end of the bar. The lever I has an arm I84 (Fig. 2) carryinga projection I86 which is adapted to engage and operate a plunger I88 to close the switch I46 when the knee pad l6v is pushed bythe operator.

Assuming now that. the knee pad has been operated to initiate a movement of the knife carrier I 6, the; switch I48 becomes effective immediately to. close the circuit: to the. solenoid thereby permitting the operator to release the pad III. This operation of the switch I48 is effected by a cam I96 (Figs. 4, 7 and. 8') associated with the clutch element 64 and having lobes I92, I62 adapted to engage a plunger I94 which, when it is engaged by either of the lobes I92; opens the switch [48.

1 Prior to actuation of the knee pad III. one of the lobes lfszhol'ds the switch l 48 open. However, at the start of the operation of the clutch ole- "7 ment 64 this lobe is immediately moved out of engagement with the plunger I94. When the plunger is thus released, the circuit is closed through the switch I48 and it remains closed until the other lobe engages and operates the plunger I94 to open the switch. At this time the solenoid I44 is de-energized and, accordingly, the clutch element 66 is separated from the clutch element 64 by the action of the spring I2 I. Since the lobes I92, I92 are 180 apart, it is apparent that with each actuation of the knee pad 10 the eccentric sleeve I08 will be moved through a half revolution at a time. Thus, the tool carrier I6 is moved through a complete stroke, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction with each successive operation of the pad. To insure that the clutch elements 64 and 66 will not follow the driving element I26 of the Horton clutch I24 durin its back stroke, a friction screw I95 is threaded into the eccentric strap I06 and bears againstthe eccentric sleeve I08.

The operation and use of the machine will now be summarized with reference to the rounding of a right shoe and a left shoe in that order.

Let it be assumed that a rounding operation has been started on a right shoe at the inside heel breast line and has progressed along the shank toward the ball line, the shoe being under the control of the crease guide I8. At approximately this point the treadle of the machine is operated to cause theforepart guide 26 to take over the control of the shoe in the manner described above. The rounding of the forepart now continues until a point is reached Where the increase in the sole edge extension is to begin. The knee pad 10 is now operated causing the clutch element 66 to engage and drive the clutch element 64 whereby the rotation of the eccentric sleeve I08 through a half-revolution is initiated. The eccentric strap I06 is moved to the left from the position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 1 causing the carrier I8 and knife I4 to be progressively raised and the sole edge extension to be increased. At the end of a half-revolution of the eccentric sleeve the opening of the switch I48 by the action of one of the lobes I92 causes the clutch element 66 to be disengaged from the clutch element 64 and the stroke of the knife to be terminated at its upper extremity. It is understood that the link 84 will have been adjusted in the slot 98 so as to provide the desired maximum sole edge extension.

With experience, an operator acquires his natural feeding speed which is substantially constant from one shoe to another. The adjustment of the ball-and-socketjoints I34 and I36 will bemovement of the shoe accordingly, the point onthe shoe where the sole edge extension is to be the greatest can be brought opposite to the knife at the proper time. This point on the shoe will usually be at or near the outside ballline.

The operator next releases the treadle for operating the forepart and crease guides, whereupon the control of the shoe is taken over by the crease guide for the remainder of the rounding operation ,atthe outside shank of the shoe betweenthe ball line and the heel breast line. 1

The operator next presents a left shoe to the machine starting the rounding operation at the outside heel breast line. The above mentioned events in the operation upon a right shoe now occur in the opposite order. That is, when the outside ball line is reached the machine is treadled to cause the forepart guide to take over the control of the shoe. Soon, if not immediately thereafter, the knee pad 10 is operated to initiate the stroke of the knife which causes the sole edge extension to be diminished. When the rounding of the forepart has been carried approximately to the inside ball line the treadle is released to cause the crease guide to take over the control of the shoe for the completion of the operation at the inside of the shank.

By thus presenting right and left shoes to the machine alternately the shoes will receive the desired increasing and decreasing sole edge extensions, respectively, owing to the movement of the knife relatively to the forepart guide.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a sole rounding machine, a rounding tool, a guide for positioning a shoe relatively to said tool to control the sole edge extension, a carrier in which said tool is operated to trim the sole of a shoe presented thereto, said carrier being mounted to move through a predetermined stroke to vary the position of said tool with respect to said guide whereby the sole edge extension is changed, and means for positively moving said carrier back and forth from each end of its stroke to the other, said means comprising adjustable connections for varying the amplitude of the stroke of said carrier.

2. In a sole rounding machine, a rounding tool, a guide for positioning a shoe relatively to said tool to control the sole edge extension, 2. carrier in which said tool is operated to trim the sole of the shoe, parallel members on which said carrier is mounted to swing transversely of the line of cut of said tool through a predetermined stroke, operating means comprising an eccentric operated linkage connected to said members for moving said carrier from each end of its stroke toward the other, operator controlled means for initiating the operation of said operating means, and control means constructed and arranged to render said operating means ineffective at the end of each stroke of said carrier.

3. In a sole rounding machine, a rounding tool, a guide for positioning a shoe relatively to said tool to control the sole edge extension, a carrier in which said tool is operated to trim the sole of the shoe, said carrier being mounted to move parallel to itself transversely of the line of cut of said tool to vary the sole edge extension, operating means comprising an eccentric for moving said carrier through a predetermined stroke first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, means for driving said eccentric, and control means constructed and arranged to disconnect said driving means from said eccentric at the end of each stroke of said carrier.

4. In a sole rounding machine, a guide adapted to be received in the welt crease of a shoe presented to the machine, a rounding tool, a carrier in which said tool is mounted to reciprocate, levers on which said carrier is mounted to swing parallel to itself to vary the position of the tool outwardly of the welt crease whereby the sole edge extension is changed, means for operating said carrier comprising a crank, a link connecting said crank with one of said levers, an eccentric for operating said crank, driving means having a member movable into and out of driving relation with said eccentric, operator controlled means for moving said member into driving relation to said eccentrio, and means constructed and arranged to be operated at the end of a half-revolution of said eccentric to disconnect said member therefrom.

5. In a sole rounding machine, a guide adapted to be received in the welt crease of a shoe presented to the machine, a rounding tool, a carrier in which said tool is mounted to reciprocate, said carrier being mounted to swing parallel to itself to vary the position of the tool outwardly of the welt Crease whereby the sole edge extension is changed, means for operating said carrier including an eccentric having a clutch element associated therewith, driving means comprising a second clutch element mounted for movement into and out of engagement with the first mentioned clutch element, operator controlled means for engaging said clutch elements, and means for disengaging said clutch elements at the end of a half-revolution of said eccentric.

6. In a sole rounding machine, a guide adapted to be received in the welt crease of a shoe presented to the machine, a rounding tool, a carrier in which said tool is operated to trim the sole of the shoe, levers on which said carrier is mounted to swing parallel to itself to vary the position of said tool outwardly of the welt crease whereby the sole edge extension is changed, a link connected to one of said levers, a crank having an arm on which said link is pivoted, an eccentric for operating said crank, driving means movable into and out of engagement with said eccentric, operator controlled means for engaging said driving means with said eccentric, and control means constructed and arranged to disengage said driving means from said eccentric at the end of a half-revolution of said eccentric.

'7. In a sole rounding machine, a rounding tool, a guide for positioning a shoe relatively to said tool to control the sole edge extension, a carrier in which said tool is operated to trim the sole of a shoe presented thereto, said carrier being mounted to move transversely of the line of cut of said tool to vary the sole edge extension, operating means for moving said carrier, means including a clutch for driving said operating means, an electromagnetic device for engaging and disengaging said clutch, a normally open switch, a normally closed switch, said switches being electrically connected to said device, operator controlled means for closing said normally open switch whereby movement of said carrier is started, and a cam associated with said operating means constructed and arranged to open said normally closed switch at the end of a predetermined period of operation of said driving means whereby said carrier is stopped.

CORWIN W. BAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 871,987 English Nov. 26, 1907 878,478 English Feb. 4, 1908 

